Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-24
aai19 gae1e
AMONG THE MORMONS.
SIGHTS SEEN DURING A VISIT TO
SALT LAKE CITY.

Tho "Co-operative store"-A Description
OF tho Observation-Disclosures Playing
During Services-Subjects Treated Q,
| from tho Mormon Pulpit
Having O Few purchases to make we sailed
forth, end our first exploration was Of The
shops. tho mosG important of which is the
new cooperative store" which bears She
following sign: "Holiness to the Lord.
lions Cooperative Mercatile Institution.
A large eye is painted on the sign, with gilt
rays diverging from it in every direction.
Here our wants were quickly and satisfac-
toriiy supplied. We found the prices Of dry
goods about the same as in San Francisco
and Chicago.
Our next visit was TO the tabernacle, where
the religious services are held. The building
is surrounded by high wall which incloses a
very large space, within which the endow-
nent house and the new temple, then in pro
cess OF erection, also stand. The tabernacle
is an enormous building, elliptical in shape,
built Of wood and with q round roof, sup
ported on many columns, which surround the
exterior OF the building. There are an in
credible number Of exits, and though the
building holds 1900 people, we were assured
that in one minute and a half it could be
emptied. Shabby as was the exterior of the
unpainted building, the interior was even
more dreary The roof was thickiy hung
with garlands which were green six years ago
when they were hung in honor of some special
ceremony, and paper flowers of the same date
were scattered profusely about. There is q
IF
building, and the floor slopes in such man
ner as to allow those sitting in the rear to
command a good view OF the pulpits. The
body of the tabernacle is occupied by ordinary
pews, but in the middle Of the building is a
large tank, guarded by four terra Gotta beasts
which we were told were lions.
During the services 4 fountain springs from
the center of the tank. / could not learn the
significance of this novel feature, if signif-
canoe it has. One lady told HE that they
"thought it pleasant thing to have a foun-
tain playing during services, so-they had
it." Were the tabernacle q temperance
stronghold, this libation would have seemed
more appropriate. At one end of the build
ing is platform with three tables, one above
the other, which are called pulpits. At the
highest one 81: the president and two of his
councillors; the second one is reserved for the
twelve apostles, and on the lowest the COM
munion is administered every Sunday, water
being substituted for wine.
On each side OF the pulpits were a number
Of benches, which the guardian told us "were
reserved for those of the brethren who were
hard of hearing" At the back Of the plat
form stands the organ, which Is the
glory and pride of the saints, who
claim that it is only second in size
among American organs. 1t is really
very handsome rejecting great credit on the
native designer, for the entire organ was
made at Salt Lake City. The acoustic proper
ties Of the tabernacle are very remarkable.
Standing at the extreme end of the gallery,
we heard pin dropped upon the platform
and the sound of a low whisper with perfect
distinctness. At a convenient point stand
several large barrels of water with tin cups
attached, for the benefit Of the thirsty ones in
the assembly The religious exercises are
held in the tabernacle on Sunday They con-
sist of the singing of hymns, prayer from
the president and q sermon from some one OF
the apostles.
The biects treated from the Mormon pull
pit cover very wide range, including all
N1iflIbbfai a. WON VI
est A writer on this subject says: "1n the
great tabernacle one Will hear sermons, or
advice on the culture OF sorghum, infant hap
tsIn, UPON the best manure for cabbages
upon the perseverance of the saints, upon the
wickedness; of the skimming of milk before its
sale, upon the best method OF cleaning water
bitches, upon bed bug poison, upon the price
of real estate upon the teethinG OF children,
upon the martyrs and prosecutions OF the
church. terrible denunciations of Geutiles and
the enemies of the MormOns, upon olive oil as
a cure for measles, upon the ordination of tho
priesthood upon the character Of Melchisdec,
upon abstinence from plug tobacco upon
chignons, upon twenty five yard dresses, upon
plural marriage, etc"
Leaving the tabernacle, our next visit was
TO the new temple, a beautiful building then
in process of erection. The material used in
its construction is a peculiar black and white
granite quarried from one OF the mountains
near by. This ediice is to be reserved for
the more sacred rites Of baptism and endow-
ment." we learned. marking that the Cere-
mony Of sealing or endowment, for so they
designate the marriage ceremony, is conSid-
cred by them more sacred than the services
IN praise of the Creator. The ceremony of
endowment is one that no Gentle is allowed
TO witness. On asking one of the Mormon
ladies whom we met the nature of its rites,
she said: The ceremony of sealing differs
from the marriage ceremonies in the world
IN this particular-that with Us 1t unites the
husband and wife throughout all eternity,
instead of being only for time and conse-
quently is termed celestial marriage. The
wife's VOW of obedience to her husband is
not included in the ceremony at all, so that
If differs in this particular also We were
anxious to hear concerning the marriage gar
ments worn on these occasions, but our Nor
mon friend on this point was net 50 COM
municatiye.-Cor Boston Transcript.